Serena Williams' Super Bowl 2025 perfomance proves she'll always be tennis' biggest cultural phenomenon

Even though Serena Williams hung up her racquet for good after the US Open 2022, she remains a force to be reckoned with even today. She became a talking point globally after joining Kendrick Lamar for his halftime show at the Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9.

As the battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs came to a standstill, Lamar took to the stage to do his thing. With an introduction from the iconic Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam, the rapper started off performing some of his biggest hits.

The audience was eagerly waiting for Lamar to burst into "Not Like Us", a diss track aimed at Drake that has been dubbed as one of the greatest takedowns in history. He initially teased the song by playing its instrumentals but that proved to be a fake out, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

However, towards the end of his performance, Lamar finally gave the crowd what they wanted, and started rapping "Not Like Us". He has been dishing out one lashing after another to Drake over the past few months, and capitalized on the opportunity to bring him down a peg yet again. To make his performance extra special, he brought out Williams to dance to the song.

Williams and Drake have been feuding over the years as well. The two were allegedly involved for a while, with the rapper alluding to getting his heart broken by her in a few of his songs. The tennis pro has also poked fun at him over the years, most recently while hosting the ESPYs last year.

Williams was part of the show only briefly but stole the limelight. She crip walked to the song, which added another layer to the whole performance. Both her and Lamar were born in Compton, California, and it was also the birthplace of the crip walk in the 1970s.

Williams' dancing skills were applauded this time in contrast to the wave to criticism she received for doing the crip walk while celebrating her victory at the London Olympics 2012. She brought the house down with her appearance, and social media was abuzz after that. From her peers to other athletes and celebrities, as well as fans, everyone was talking about the tennis pro's performance.

The 23-time Major champion's Super Bowl appearance proved that even though she's years into her retirement, she still commands everyone's attention. Her accomplishments are numerous to list, and even though she became a household name early on in her career, her popularity remained intact until she played her very last match in 2022.

If one wondered whether Williams would fade into obscurity as some of her other accomplished peers, then she proved that won't be the case. She has embedded herself in public consciousness in a way that transcends tennis, and she laid the groundwork for the same a long time ago.

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Serena Williams' various interests beyond tennis helped her cement herself as a pop culture icon

Serena Williams at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. (Photo: Getty)

Tennis is responsible for making Serena Williams popular all over the world. Her rivalry with her sister Venus Williams made them a cornerstone of women's tennis for two decades. That's a story that couldn't have been scripted any better. Her numerous comebacks after injury and a prolonged period of dominance ensured that multiple generations watched her perform at an extremely high level.

While Williams faltered in her quest to capture a 24th Major title, her failure to do so humanized her in a way. She became more relatable to the general public, and her matches in the twilight of her career grabbed plenty of eyeballs.

However, she always had other interests beyond tennis, and pursued them whenever she had the time, which slowly but steadily built her profile outside of the sport. Fashion, movies, television, these are the things that had interested Williams since childhood.

Williams has made cameo appearances on the big and the small screen over the years. The Simpsons, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Ocean's 8 are some of the most well-known franchises of this century, and she has been a part of them. She even appeared in a music video alongside Beyonce.

The autobiographical movie "King Richard", which featured Will Smith in the titular role, introduced Williams to a new generation. The movie touched upon the rise of the Williams sisters and how their father, Richard Williams, transformed them into tennis superstars. Smith won an Oscar for his performance in the movie.

Despite being involved in a few controversies during her career, Williams' public image has never been tarnished completely. Athletes often find themselves in trouble due to their tempers when the stakes are high, and people are quick to forgive them for the same unless it is something truly heinous.

It's not only her accomplishments and other endeavors that have been responsible for Williams' enduring popularity. She's articulate, has a great personality, and moreover, always had innate star quality. Being an extremely accomplished athlete often ensures a degree of popularity even after retirement.

However, to enjoy the same level of affection from the public as they did during their peak requires a certain "it factor", which Serena Williams has. To sum it up, "she's just that girl" - this one simple sentence captures who she is perfectly and why she's able to break the internet even today.